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MMR and thimerosal confer no risk for autism

The following is an abstract to an article recently published (Jan 3, 2015) in the journal Vaccine. The same claims no association between MMR vaccination and thimerosal–containing vaccine to autism risk. You can see the same at Pubmed. The complete reference is: Uno Y, et al. Early exposure to the combined measles-mumps-rubela vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines and risk of autism spectrum disorder. Vaccine 2015 Jan 3. pii: S0264-410X(14)01689-2. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.12.036. [Epub ahead of print]

Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
This case-control study investigated the relationship between the risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) onset, and early exposure to the combined Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine and thimerosal consumption measured from vaccinations in the highly genetically homogenous Japanese population.
METHODS:
Vaccination histories at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months from birth were investigated in ASD cases (189 samples), and controls (224 samples) matching age and sex in each case. Crude odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to determine relationship between MMR vaccination and ASD. The differences in mean values of the thimerosal dosage between cases and controls were analyzed using an unpaired t-test. MMR vaccination and thimerosal dosage were also investigated using a conditional multiple-regression model.
RESULTS:
There were no significant differences in MMR vaccination and thimerosal dosage between cases and controls at any age. Furthermore, the ORs (95% CIs) of MMR vaccination and thimerosal dosage associated with ASD in the conditional multiple regression model were, respectively, 0.875 (0.345-2.222) and 1.205 (0.862-1.683) at age 18 months, 0.724 (0.421-1.243) and 1.343 (0.997-1.808) at 24 months, and 1.040 (0.648-1.668) and 0.844 (0.632-1.128) at 36 months. Thus, there were no significant differences.
CONCLUSIONS:
No convincing evidence was found in this study that MMR vaccination and increasing thimerosal dose were associated with an increased risk of ASD onset.
The study appears to be a follow up to a previous case controlled study in Asia: Uno Y et al. The combined measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines and the total number of vaccines are not associated with development of autism spectrum disorder: the first case-control study in Asia. Vaccine 30(28):4292-8, 2012.

2 responses to “MMR and thimerosal confer no risk for autism”

Unclear – is the study showing that children with ASD and control children who did not have ASD, had the same vaccine and thimerosal exposure according to their vaccine schedules?
US Dept of Health & Human Services committee to review Vaccine Injury of 2011 lists Autism, ASD/PDD as “secondary” effects of DTaP and MMR vaccine possibly due to neuroinflammation or immune response – presumably in vulnerable individuals. Is it possibly the “live” vaccines or the human or bovine growing medium that may trigger neuroinflammation or immune responses that may cause a “neurodegenerative cascade” in susceptible individuals?

Dr. Manuel Casanova is a neurologist, with extensive experience in Neuropathology and research. He is currently the SmartState Chair in Childhood Neurotherapeutics and Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of South Carolina/Greenville Health Systems.

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